


Strength is all about stance

by gimmethaticecream



Category: Dominion (TV)
Genre: F/M, Sibling Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 15:53:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3073592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gimmethaticecream/pseuds/gimmethaticecream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pre-Dominion, the angel are training, leaded by Gabriel.<br/>Noma does not comply easily with his manners. But while dealing with Gabriel, she also gets to know him through his conflicts with Michael.<br/>Noma's Point of view + a final observation by Gabriel</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strength is all about stance

**Author's Note:**

> This browses facts about Gabriel being bossy and Michael teasing.  
> I really wanted to explore how Noma was a reliable angel to Gabriel, how it would feel to her.
> 
> And I kinda like having Noma in between brothers.

Every morning there was a routine going on in the guard quarter.

One by one, angels were assigned to groups with different tasks in no special order. And no matter how many times they'd be told that the best duties weren't the first listed out, Noma felt like a worthless leftover when she was one of the only 30 angels remaining in the ranks, which was every day.

  
Sometimes the mission she was affiliated to would totally erase the feeling, but on every morning call, she was there, repeating herself how unfairly the teams were put up. She didn't grit her teeth, nor sigh, but the day was no different from any other: Gabriel in chief was not to be opposed or interrupted.

The Archangel would patrol along the lines, acting bossy and judging attires, postures and anything catching his eye.  
Noma noticed how he'd walk past her, sometimes brushing her ponytail lightly. She'd normally overlook such facts, but after weeks of morning expectancy, standing still, she caught a little more details than she'd ever wish to.

It was all about glances she caught from the corner of her half lidded eyes and physical contact. He was fond of firm nudges from his shoulder into hers which could easily be mistaken for his body balancing from feet to feet at slow pace. She'd let her chest bent forward slightly before standing back, rigid.  
  
Sometimes he'd get his hands on her. Nothing misplaced, but a tiny attention, just a little tug on the hem of her sleeve, a furtive yet gentle pull of a bang off her forehead, a formal collar straightening. She thought of those patrol as the girlfriend patrol, because that was the way her friends would make meaningless gestures to remain close to her. Those were most unnerving since it only made Noma long for him to pick her for a mission. It was like some statement of Gabriel, acknowledging her presence, every single time he'd walk close-by and yet not finding her appropriate enough for any task until he'd almost run out of options.  
  
Again she, as any other angel, was not to pull away from his sense of perfection.

And some other times, he'd just lazily lay in a luxurious red sofa, scrutinizing each of them from afar in between names he'd call out steadily. He could cut this precious act with orders he gave to his nymphs for food and booze.  
They weren't anything like nymphs, not even muses to his bored spirit but that was one of the nicknames legion angels came up with for his hook ups. Well that part when he'd toy around with girls in the middle of the assignations was such a shame.

Noma didn't let her disapproval show. She'd just look the other way, and leave with her chin high when she'd be assigned. Well, she agreed on the fact that her act was maybe oblivious of her feelings toward Gabriel's practices but that was the least she could show.

One day, she must have looked the other way so stubbornly it took her a while to realize she was the last one standing. She'd ignored what Gabriel had been purring to his nymphs and got lost in her thoughts. So lost she didn't pay attention to the names called and only the awkward silence stroke her.  
  
Noma turned her stiff body and she walked to the nearest door, hoping she'd be able to catch up the last legion that left; they might know more than she did.

"Your name was not called just yet."

  
She obeyed and watched the nymphs leave. The hall was so extravagantly large now that it was just the two of them. That was a good distraction from the anxiety of finding yourself alone with a high Archangel, with no idea of his mood.  
  
"See there are days when no matter how much I want to fit you in one of those teams, I just can't get around the idea of it. For once I decided I wouldn't assign you anywhere."  
  
He looked so pleased with his own decision, he dwelt on it for a bit, pacing around her. Noma feared he'd brush past her. Because without close ranks, it would just be indecent. She could feel him so close she could almost see him standing right behind her, his nose touching her hair faintly, the tip of his fingers inches away from her shoulders. The more she thought about it, the more she felt him around her. And she broke.  
  
"I don't qualify for a part-time nymph, Chief."  
  
Gabriel chuckled, marking his presence so further back she regretted her words. Gabriel might have left just a second ago, but she'd never know for everything in this room was his and he had his little tricks.  
  
"I don't even think you qualify for full time nymph, you're a lone hard worker. I'd rather have you alone." Noma was sure he didn't expect the last statement to sound like it did. She had to believe in that or she'd dosrespect him right away. She turned her head to look at Gabriel, ignoring the rounds protocol. Was it a round anymore?  
  
The archangel nodded at his own words after a few anxious seconds of doubts and it somewhat felt better.  
"I decided I want you trained for missions on your own, of any type. Your talents are such a waste if restrained to team work. I figured your independence would be useful in darker times."  
  
He was now standing just next to her, and the room was sickening tiny and closed up. She couldn't wait to be sent off to training.  
"So I'll teach you everyday from now on, the best way to rely on your skills and make an ally of you."  
  
Noma closed her eyes shortly: Gabriel would provide the best personal training, for those honest reasons he admitted. Now she doubted her skills alone pushed her worth so high in his consideration, too good to be true and too disinterested to be Gabriel.  
Again, did she have any choice in the matter? The angel in training nodded once, watching her new and lone teammate. The Archangel turned raised a brow.  
  
"Nothing to say?"  
"My skills. Really?"  
  
She was pushing her luck, adopting such a tone when all angels knew that a try at trivialities with Gabriel implied death 1 time out of four. The insolence in doubting his words made the Archangel smirk, not that much of a good sign since killing thrilled him too. Anything made him grin, but at least he looked rather interested than on the verge of breaking a bone.  
  
"I guess that was quite the offense for a woman of such grace."  
  
And the game was set.

 

  
He took his time teaching Noma every days for months, pausing to ramble about unrelated facts, to tell fiction.  
Actually most of the memories he'd tell her about sounded like fantasy. She could never tell apart when he was entirely serious, half joking, metaphoric or completely fooling her. Still, Gabriel was not to be interrupted, questionned or disrespected.  
  
Although he still found time to play with his nymphs, he cared enough to send Noma off duty first. He enjoyed watching her duels with some of his best warriors or watching her struggle to be respected by his Archangels friends, struggle her walk to her dormitory after he made her drink like a pig. She would be useful in darker times but for the time being, Noma was the most interesting hobby of his.

 

But never did Noma see Gabriel get this numb and erased, the eloquence and prance out of the frame. He must have walked to check on her that morning after his assigning session and froze half way in the corridor, the dark blue velvety curtains shielding him from the sunlight.  
  
Michael rarely dropped by, but when he did, he always came in pissed. Noma observed that when Michael shattered his brother's art pieces, the angst wasn't as bad as when he'd come in and barely speak. His silence was gloomy; the distress in his eyes.

Michael's impassive face was not easy to discern, but as a personal guard to Gabriel, Noma  came to pinpoint the way his sight would drop in something close to despair. No matter how Gabriel would brag about Michael having no balls, Noma always observed how careful her chief would be about anything related to his brother for a while when the other had reasons to throw a tantrum. Like he'd be walking on eggs, longing for forgiveness, unlike his usual loud and provocative type.

Well, Gabriel was standing, dull, on the edge when he made eye-contact with her. Michael was in-between them, and politically too close to her. She had had plenty of intimate moments on no special accounts with Michael. She label those as angel awkward, or means to destabilize. But right there, it was obvious he minded his intrusion, spitting on the endless Gabriel centered masquerade. Michael's sudden kindness and closeness was payback for something her Chief must have done.

 

From that day on, Gabriel made it clear that she was to keep distances with his brother.

But the sight of morning routines just gained another depth. This crowd of guards at his orders, not moving an inch before he'd say the word, it was all Gabriel was about: unconditional support. The one thing Michael would easily fail at for missing in action most of the time.  
  
Suddenly Gabriel didn't look so in control to her. He stood on his pedestal, same old show before her eyes, only the Archangel was in disguise, stripped off his royal glow and past redeeming.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

Every morning, Gabriel went on his favorite routine, bossing around and in all Noma's respect and consideration he found it harder to tease her.  
Something in her look had changed, a slight nudge of their shoulders would let him feel at her mercy. Her straightforward allure seemed unbreakable and he knew he had been stripped off of all his mysticism from the one day Michael had interrupted his celestial strut.  
You never forget the dim light of an angel hallowing in the shadow.

**Author's Note:**

> I fear it is a confusing piece but I've been BetaReading it for months and I don't know how to make it better so I'll just post it here; all feedback are welcome!


End file.
